Hormel Foods is Donating $25K Reward Fund to Jayme Closs

Barron, WI (KROC-AM News) - It appears a large portion of the reward fund offered in the Jayme Closs case will be directed to the Wisconsin teenager.

Austin-based Hormel Foods, which owns the Jennie-O Turkey plant that employed the 13-year-old girl’s parents, today announced it is working with law enforcement officials to move forward on donating the $25,000 contributed to the reward fund to Jayme.

“On behalf of the entire Jennie-O and Hormel Foods family, we are overjoyed at the news of Jayme’s safe return,” said Jim Snee, chairman of the board, president and chief executive officer at Hormel Foods. “Her bravery and strength have truly inspired our team members around the world. Barron is an incredibly strong community and one that never lost hope. We celebrated with the community, and the world, that Jayme is home.”

Jim and Denise Closs were longtime employees of the Jennie-O plant in Barron, Wisconsin where the couple was found murdered in their home last October. The couple’s daughter was abducted by their killer and was kept a hostage in a home in northwest Wisconsin before she managed to escape on January 10th.

Her abductor and the person responsible for murdering her parents, 21-year-old Jake Patterson, was captured shortly after her escape and has confessed to the crimes. He is currently jailed in Barron County on murder and kidnapping charges.